Smalltalk » Kerryon Johnson’s rookie season was one of few bright

ALLEN PARK Deandre Baker Jersey , Mich. (AP) — spots for the Detroit Lions in 2018.And even that ended sooner than the young running back would have liked.Johnson was limited to 10 games last season, and after the Lions were eliminated from playoff contention in mid-December, he went on injured reserve with knee problems. In the time he did play, he ran for 641 yards, the most by a Detroit player since 2014.The 21-year-old Johnson says he learned a lot from his first year as a pro. He figures to be a big part of any improvement Detroit enjoys this coming season.“It doesn’t take you long to see what you need to do to be in this league, because guys are so good,” Johnson said. “I look up, and we’re playing against Bobby Wagner, Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald, the superstars of the league. You realize very quickly what you need to do to be successful.”Johnson was available to reporters for a few minutes Thursday, and he approached the session with confidence, unafraid to show his personality. The former Auburn star began his news conference with a message for at least some of the Lions’ fan base.Both Auburn and Michigan State made the Final Four this year in basketball, losing in the semifinals. Johnson said — unprompted — that if the teams had met in the title game, his Tigers would have won by 20.Later, he discussed “Game of Thrones” — although he also dodged a question about whether he’d like the Lions to appear on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series. Whether that behind-the-scenes show features Detroit or not, Johnson has a chance to become one of the Lions’ most popular and productive players.He says he’s healthy, and he also indicated that this offseason has been a little more conducive to working on his craft.“Last year Oshane Ximines Jersey , I didn’t get this time. Last year, we’re preparing for the combine, all that fun stuff that people like to see,” Johnson said. “You don’t really get a chance to get better in football … really work on your specific skills.”Johnson was asked about the so-called rookie wall, and he had an amusing answer to that too.“Rookie wall hit me, like, fall camp,” he said.Still, he finished second on the team with 118 carries despite missing so much time at the end of the season. Only LeGarrette Blount had more, and he’s a free agent who is no longer with the Lions. The stage is set for Johnson to take on an even more significant role.“I try to prepare every game like I’m getting 30 carries. My last year at Auburn did teach me that,” he said. “That’s not realistic, but that’s the kind of mindset I go in with.”NOTES: The Lions announced the signing of DT Darius Kilgo, released RB Kerwynn Williams and waived T Jarron Jones. Kilgo had five tackles in 11 games last season for the Tennessee Titans. He was originally selected in the sixth round of the 2015 draft by Denver. He has spent time with the Broncos and Patriots, and also on the practice squads of the Jaguars and Texans. … Lions head athletic trainer Kevin Bastin plans to step away from the NFL later this month. He is being replaced by Dave Granito. INDIANAPOLIS — Frank Reich made it clear from the moment he accepted the Indianapolis Colts‘ coaching job that he wanted to build around a strong ground game.He might finally have the foundation.Since returning from a lingering hamstring injury, Marlon Mack has turned heads, piled up numbers and given the Colts’ offense a more balanced look. He helped Indy snap a four-game losing streak Sunday, and if he keeps it up, Mack could help the Colts win more games this season.“He’s explosive. He turns a 5-yard run into a 15- or 20-yard run Julian Love Jersey ,” Reich said after Sunday’s 37-5 rout of Buffalo. “(He’s) an excellent inside and outside runner, so (we are) really glad to have him back in the mix.”The Colts (2-5) envisioned Mack fitting perfectly into this role.They drafted him in the fourth round in 2017, believing South Florida’s career rushing leader would eventually start after spending one season as the understudy to Frank Gore, the NFL’s No. 4 career rusher.At training camp this summer, team owner Jim Irsay projected Mack could run for 1,500 yards this season — a feat only one NFL player achieved over the past three seasons and an astoundingly high number in the era of rotating running backs.But Mack showed everyone what he could do the past two weeks.After missing four of Indy’s first five games, he returned against the New York Jets and ran 12 times for 89 yards, just two short of his career high. On Sunday against the Buffalo defense, ranked No. 3 overall at the time, he had 19 carries for 126 yards and one touchdown while catching two passes for 33 yards and another score.Suddenly, he and the Colts looked as if they could start alleviating the heavy early-season workload on Andrew Luck‘s repaired right shoulder.“The middle three guys were definitely moving some people and when that happens, you get gaps in there, and Marlon was setting up guys pretty well,” longtime left tackle Anthony Castonzo said Tuesday. “The good thing is it wasn’t perfect, so we can still get better.”Mack is still getting on the same page with a relatively young offensive line.Center Ryan Kelly was Indy’s first-round pick in 2016 and has returned to his rookie form after missing most of last season because of injuries. The Colts (2-5) have seen left guard Quenton Nelson, the No. 6 overall pick, settle into his new gig and believe he can emerge as a perennial Pro Bowler if he stays healthy.Braden Smith, a second-round pick this spring Darius Slayton Jersey , took advantage of injuries to crack the starting lineup sooner than anticipated and appears to have found a home at right tackle. Castonzo, a first-round pick in 2011, just turned 30 in August, and 26-year-old Mark Glowinski has filled in admirably at right guard since Matt Slauson went down with a season-ending back injury in Week 5.The result: Luck has been sacked only once in his past 125 attempts and the offensive line is increasingly creating creases Mack can burst through.“Marlon, he is patient and he’s able to predict where guys end up based on the structure of the defense,” offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni said. “Marlon just has a unique vision quality, and he can really hit it when it’s time to hit it. It’s like he’s patient setting up the block, but he has that acceleration to hit the hole before they can get off on him.”Right now, it looks like a perfect combination.Mack already has flirted with back-to-back 100-yard games, something the Colts haven’t achieved since October and November 2007, when Joseph Addai went for 100 and 112 yards against Carolina and New England.This week, against the Raiders’ No. 27-ranked run defense, Mack hopes to add his name to the list.“It’s just something to build upon. The offensive line and us coming together and working hard,” Mack said after Sunday’s game. “It (a 100-yard game) is a great thing as a running back that you want to have for your career.”100<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:View from the sidelines: NFL cheerleaders 2018Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports | Raj Mehta